Wake The Snake

"What will we do with them? asked Stage.
- Take care of them, of course! answered Showman.
- Don't count on me for that, Showman. It's your fault if we're in this situation.
Before the Theatre Of The Real's master could retort, Alice said:
- What's done is done; it's much too late to change it.
- But you can't take care of them, stated Stage.
- Why not? asked Showman. They are my children, I have to raise them and I will!
- They're twenty six…
Stage, Alice and Showman were sitting around the living room's table. On it stood a large terrarium full of baby boa constrictors. An adult one was on Showman's shoulders.
- So what? I have enough room in the theatre and my zombies can help me. I won't let Cleopatra and our children down.
- I still think that it's too bad condom for snakes don't exist…
- It's a bit late for that, Alice, said Alice.
Alice called Stage Alice and Stage called Alice Vince. You'd better remember that.
- Cleopatra's got an idea for the names, said Showman: Sssssss.
- This is the most stoopid thing I've ever heard… stated Stage.
Then Alice got an idea:
- Since they're twenty six and there're twenty six letters of the alphabet, why not give to each of them a name which starts with a different letter?"


Two years later...
"Hi Dad! How are you? said Zane when Showman came in the theatre.
Zane seemed to be the only one among her brothers and sisters who was able (or at least the only one who managed yet) to turn into a human. In her human form she looked like a fifteen years old girl with long black hair and piercing blue eyes.
- Good evening, my dear. How's everyone?
- We're all fine."
Usually, when she said "we", she meant her and all of her sisters and brothers (Stage called them "the alphabet"), as she was often their spokesperson.
"Can I ask you one thing, Dad? asked the young girl.
- Sure, Zane.
- Can I go outside?
- Why do you want to go out of the Theatre? You have everything you need here!
- So why do you go out so often?"
Zane's father froze. For the first time in so many decades, he didn't know what to say. His daughter continued:
"We have never seen the outside world whereas Mom works for Stage almost every night and you watch them perform or hang around with Uncle Alice. That's not fair.
- You're all only two years old, argued Showman. You are too young to go to the outside world…
Zane folded her arms on her chest.
- You perfectly know that constrictors are adults at that age. Plus we can work with Stage, too. He could perform one time with Alex, one time with Bernie, one time with Camillia…
Her father interrupted her:
- You don't have to quote all your brothers and sisters' names… Plus being two years old does not mean you're adult, it means you're a teenager. It's dangerous outside. Do you really want to go out of the theatre?
The young girl breathed a sigh:
- I wouldn't ask you if I didn't want it…"

So Zane got outside the theatre, in Alice's house, with her brother Alexander on her shoulders.
"I don't have the time to show you the outside world, said Alice, but Calico does. I asked her to be your "snake-sitter" today.
- Alex and I are glad to finally meet her.
Coop Troup's members often came in the Theatre to visit Showman's family; however Alice's children and wife had never got in.
Calico entered the room and saluted Zane:
"Hello! You're Showman's daughter, I suppose?
- Hello, you must be Alice's daughter. And Alex says "Nice to meet you".
The two girls shook their hands.
- I have to go now, said Alice before leaving. Have a nice day together!
- So, what's your name? asked the woman.
- Zane, answered the young girl.
Calico smiled.
- Did you know that's my middle name?
- No, I didn't. Dad just told me 'we needed a name which starts with a Z'. By the way, my own middle name is Zoé: do you know where that comes from?
- I have no idea, responded Alice's daughter.
- Now that I think about it, I've a middle name and no last name… But who cares? Where are we going to go?
- At the mall, of course!
- What is that? asked the young girl.
- …
- Did I say something wrong, Calico?
- No, not at all. I just realized how much you need to see the world. However, your brother can't go with us. Most people are not used to see snakes like that…
- Oh, really? ..."
Both Alexander and Zane were obviously disappointed. The snake had to stay in a terrarium while his sister followed Calico outside the house.


Later, in the evening, in the mall's car park…
While the girls were putting their acquisitions in Calico's car, a quite old man came near them and asked:
"Hey, Miss, wanna see my snake?
Before Alice's daughter could answer anything, Zane said:
- Does he or she want to talk with a comrade?"
and turned into a snake in front of him, making the man faint.

"Don't tell me you really did that! shouted Showman.
- B-but he started to talk about snakes, so I… I thought he wouldn't have a problem with that… mumbled Zane. How could I know?
- Most humans are very closed-minded. Even those who do like snakes don't like to see young girls turning into one in front of them.
- Why?
- It's like that. And the next time a man asks you if you want to see his "snake", just run away, that's understood?
- Understood, dad, but why?
- It's like that, answered Zane's father.
Calico spoke in:
- Because that often means something else.
- What does it mean, then? asked the young girl.
- Nothing, said Showman.
- You should tell her, advised the woman.
Suddenly, the room's door was opened. A black-haired boy (he seemed to be fifteen) entered.
Alice's daughter was about to ask him who he was and what he was doing in her house when Showman and Zane recognised and hugged him.
- I'm so proud of you, sonny!
- I knew you'd manage to do it, bro!
- What's going on? asked Calico.
- I managed to turn into a human, like Dad and Zane!
- Congratulation, Alex! said his sister. Now you can go shopping with Calico, too!"



*To be continued one day...*